2024 Volkswagen ID.UNYX electric car exposed ahead of international launch - but will Australia get this Cupra Tavascan spin-off?

Volkswagen’s latest all-electric ID model has been exposed in a filing to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, based on the upcoming Cupra Tavascan mid-size SUV.

Wearing the same dramatic coupe styling as the Tavascan, and a marked departure from the relaxed curvy lines of the related VW ID.4 which is set to arrive in Australia this year, the ID.UNYX is a built-in China model equipped with a CATL battery, although other details like driving range have not been revealed.

The Ministry filing shows a mid-size SUV slightly longer than the current combustion Tiguan, at 4663mm long, 1860mm wide, and 1610mm tall with a 2766mm wheelbase, available in either rear-wheel drive with a 170kW electric motor or all-wheel drive with an additional 70kW motor on the front axle.

Read More About Volkswagen

2025 VW ID.4 and ID.5 specs confirmed: Australian features detailed for new Tesla Model Y rivals, including sporty GTX versions! 2024 Volkswagen ID.3 GTX revealed as VW shows off its Golf-GTI successor ahead of the MG4 XPower rival's international launch 2024 Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5 upgraded: More grunt and tech for Tesla Model Y rivals before they even arrive!

Standard equipment appears high with 20-inch alloy wheels, LED light fittings (with intricate patterns) front and rear, although no details of the interior were shown. We’d expect something a little less adventurous than the wild interior seen in the Cupra Tavascan.

The Tavascan is due to arrive in Australia in 2025 and will be the second fully-electric model from the Spanish VW Group spin-off after the Born hatch which launched in 2023. It will also be the brand’s largest offering, being significantly bigger than the Formentor.

Interestingly, specs revealed for the Tavascan have it being significantly more powerful than the VW ID.UNYX, with the rear-drive version producing 210kW/545Nm and the all-wheel drive VZ version producing a combined 250kW/679Nm.

Volkswagen’s latest all-electric ID model has been exposed in a filing to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The Tavascan gets a more strongly-defined grille, unique LED light signatures front and rear, and a slightly re-shaped tailgate alongside Cupra’s colour schemes and two-tone alloy wheels.

Interestingly, the Tavascan will be the first Cupra model and first Volkswagen Group electric vehicle to be built in China for export to Europe and Australia - as the Cupra brand is not currently sold in China, the ID.UNYX could simply be the only version of the coupe SUV sold in the Chinese domestic market.

Volkswagen Australia has been contacted for comment on whether the ID.UNYX is ever set for export markets.

The Ministry filing shows a mid-size SUV slightly longer than the current combustion Tiguan, at 4663mm long and 1860mm wide.

Next for Volkswagen in Australia will be, at long last, the arrival of the brand’s first EV models, the ID.4 mid-size SUV and ID.3 hatch after long delays. The ID.Buzz van is also set to arrive before the end of 2024.

Meanwhile in China, Volkswagen already fields a range of ID models built in joint-venture projects with local automakers (including SAIC, parent company of MG and LDV) encompassing the ID.3 hatch, ID.4 mid-sizer, as well as the ID.7 sedan not set for an Australian launch and the unique China-market ID.6 upper mid-size SUV.